Ok, so maybe that doesn't work with "all the single ladies"... it doesn't really sound right :)
However, I know that many of my dear readers and commenters use Blogger.com to power their blogs. I have a unique opportunity to give some feedback to a community manager at Blogger, and wanted to reach out to see if any of you have criticisms/feature requests or compliments/praise for me to pass along?
Here is what I want to bring up so far:
1) Reply-to-comment functionality. This is the number one thing that I really want, and wordpress offers it. It's a big enough deal for me to seriously consider switching over! I want to be able to reply to comments that folks leave on my posts, rather than just commenting on the post itself.
2) Better template design functionality: auto-resizing of banners, more variety and better customization (a la wordpress).
3) Google FriendConnect/blogger "follow" button integration with Google Reader. Now, when I "follow" a blogspot blog using the "follow" button, it puts it in a folder in my reader automatically. I can't move it from this folder (if I do, it stays in the folder, as well as moving to the new folder, so it is in my reader twice, which I find annoying).
4) A better android app. The official one has very limited functionality, and there are no good unofficial ones out there either.
Any other feedback on Blogger.com functionality and features from my Blogger.com-using readers out there?
40 comments:
I would love to be able to reply to comments!
Lol. I reread my comment and didn't like it. Anyway, I totally agree about the reply to comments button. I'm a complete beginner at this blogging stuff (with no comments to reply to XD), but I know that that would be extremely useful.
The rest is completely out of my depth, I'm afraid, but I hope blogger.com listens to you and makes some cool changes! Have fun and I'm cheering for you!
By the way, blogger blogger makes me think of turkeys...no offense, but all I could picture were little turkeys walking around saying "Blogger, blogger! Blogger, blogger!" Lol. It was a funny image, at least.
I would LOVE to be able to reply to comments as well!
reply to comments is possibly the most needed feature of blogger.
I would love to reply to comments. I find myself using a lot of @so-and-so... It gets very tedious, and it wuold be easier just to be able to click a button...
-Kathryn
http://ouramazingadventure.blogspot.com
Oh no, don't leave blogger!
I would love to reply to comments, though.
I am new to the site, so I'm still getting used to the layout of all things Blogger. I'm not sure if there are better ways of doing this already, but like I said I'm new.
1) Search features. Is there a way to search for a certain topic among random bloggers? I haven't been able to find such a feature. I know there are search features within a specific blog, but would love to see (or find) something that can search for "x" topic across the entire website.
2) Recent blogs. I'm wondering if there is some list to recent blogs that have been written. I can't really find one if there is. I know there's a feed that updates of the recent entries of people you follow, but I don't know about wide spread throughout the site updates.
3) New User Orientations? lol I bet this would help orient me to a lot of the questions I have about this site.
4) Language filters. I wish there was (and not sure if there is) a way to filter which languages you'll happen into when using the random blog feature. I always somehow end up into a blog in another language and then get stuck in that language for the next 100 clicks of next blog. I wish there was some way to let me only be able read English or French or Spanish, etc; whichever language I wanted.
5) I agree that reply to comments would be useful if one were to receive such comments. I'm new so haven't got any yet, but I see how such a feature would be needed.
6) Off site users. I've been wondering if it would be possible for those without an account to leave a comment in some form. Perhaps leaving an email or something as point of reference. A couple of friends don't have google/blogger, etc. accounts and are unable to leave comments on posts. Is this feature available?
7) Circles/Common Interest groups. I'm wondering if there are groups/common interest circles for people who enjoy doing/writing about the same types of things. It would be easier to find new people to read/connect with people who have similar interests and likes. Make it a lot easier to make friends for new people like me whom alternately are forced to random into a billion blogs to find one of interest.
I feel as if I've written an essay, but I suppose I've just been spoiled on the other site that I have used for ages. Also if this stuff already exists, I'm sorry. I just have been unable to find it.
I'm going to stray a bit, but i wish they had a blogger app for phones so you could catch up on all your favorite bloggers. I guess kind of like google reader but something that worked better for phones.
I wish there were better designed templates and that it was easier to modify more than just the basics in the current ones. (but that could just me being a dummy on blogger)
I agree with most of the suggestions listed above (and yours too of course!) Like J and others, I am a relative newbie to this so some of the things I am suggesting may be out there, just undiscovered by me so far.
1) I would like a way to automatically promote a new entry on my facebook, twitter and LinkedIn accounts. I suspect if I do this I might get a few readers and the occasional comment that I then won't be able to respond to!
2) I also would like a search feature both for blogs in general and keywords specifically.
3) While we are talking about tutorials, i would like some ideas on how to promote and market my blog.
I think that is it for the time being. Thanks for asking!
What is it about writing down an issue or a question that takes you to the answer. Ignore my requests 1 & 2...figured them out minutes after posting this! I still would like #3 though!
A lot of people require a word verification before you can post a comment. So you type in your comment, hit "post comment," and then the word verification comes up ... but on my browser/screen, you can't see that it has because after I hit "post comment" the screen rolls back up to the beginning of the post, so I think I've commented successfully, but it is actually still waiting for me to verify (and I usually close the browser tab and don't realize till later).
Reply-to comments would be amazing. Groups and recent blog feed would be interesting too...as for new bloggers its hard to get introduced and find blogs you might like to read.
wow! these are adorable! :) www.vananhshop.com
Some suggestions, as a blogger with Blogger that I think are really important, in addition to being able to comment on comments: (1) WYSISYG...while writing the post the preview page is *NOT* completely What You See Is What You Get, resulting in overlapping, or biiiiiiig gaps if I try to put a couple of blank lines between pics+paragraphs, (2) the possibility to insert the photo WHERE THE CURSOR IS AT THE MOMENT OF LAUNCHING THE FUNCTION...right now, wherever your cursor is in the post, the photo is embedded at the beginning of the post, so you have to trudge back up to the beginning, do cut-and-paste, and trudge back down to where you wanted the image, (3) the "You might also be interested in" easily applied widget/feature generates--the last time I tried it--a boring list, and not that wonderful side-by-side 3-4 clickable images, which I see on the blogs of others, and now need to hunt around to find out how to do, and just hope that, once found, I can understand (sigh); (4) another thing I have been too busy to hunt for, so it might exist already: an easily applied feature/widget for viewers to re-post the comment on Twitter and FB, so that readership can increment by word-of-mouth, (5) *rewrite the instructions!*: a few years ago, when first creating my first blog (limited access for my students, so no point in giving the address), the instructions were perfectly clear...too bad, though, that they were for the old system of Blogger, and did *not* work for the then newer system of Blogger, so I sweat blood and tears for three solid days till I found almost completely intelligibile instructions (and I have some "html" experience!) for how to create the "more-hide" feature, to avoid super long posts when the blog initially opens (though this might now already be a more easily available feature/widget).
If you can convince them to do these things, I would be very grateful.
For those commenting above that they want a search feature, there *IS* one already, and it's easily applied, *BUT* it works only once the blog has worked its way onto the list of sites/blogs searched by Google in a normal internet search (once again, this used to be a frustrating and long process, but about a couple of years ago, it became "automatic," so you just have to be patient for a few weeks)...so that all the posts posted *before* this happens, or if you turn off the 'don't archive' feature, and forget to turn it back on, again, will *not* be searchable.
Sincere compliments to them, on the other hand, for just about everything else (the new layouts are a lot easier to use than the older ones), and hearty Thanks for the "Blogs of Note" feature thanks to which I found some of my favorite blogs...including yours!
Thanks so much! Star
Milan, Italy: http://mymilanitaly.blogspot.com
Needlepoint: http://arsacupicturaestellae.blogspot.com
Oh ... Thanks for the query!
Blogger needs to get on board with iPad ... as developing content goes ... "compose" mode is not supported at all, so no spell check, no font changes, no links,etc ... Loading photos is a multi-step process.
I do really like the way blogs "look" on my iPhone. Very cool.
New follower! I agree with the comment back option- I get an email to myself every time I comment- like I didn't know I commented!
And while I'm not a terribly larger person, I still love your blog!
I wish that when you uploaded your blog to Facebook, that the most recent picture would just pop up, or even better - to have an application that makes that a one-click kind of thing "Post to Facebook." DONE.
Wow - so many awesome comments and requests for features that I didn't even think to ask about - especially the "more...hide" for longer posts. Thanks so much everyone! Keep 'em coming!
Great... we must learn more...
I must say that while Blogger seems to have all the blogs I love the best on it, wordpress's adminstration functions are the reason I'm on there than on blogger....that side of things is a lot easier to run, even if you've a very small readership and dont need vast management anywho ;p
reply to comments! here, here! That's what I'm talking about! Jump on board, blogger people! :)
Olá Amigo! Estive passando, quando avistei teu espaço. daí, invadi, gostei, e não resisti em dizer que o mesmo é muito bonito e interessante. Quanto ao post, acho que essas respostas, quem deveria dar era a Blogger.
Abraços e fico no aguardo de uma visita.
Furtado.
Agree with the comment replies,and also would like to echo Star on photos. Besides having them appear where your cursor is, another problem with blogger is that it doesn't make it easy to add captions (again, something the Evil Empire at Wordpress makes easy). Finally, Blogger only features one "blog of note" a day...more previews of other blogs!
When writing posts, I would like a function key that allows you to send/publish that post to a specific page. So, if you have a toolbar your readers can find it more easily.
i.e. if it's a recipe, they go to the recipe page, if it's a clothing post the reader can go to clothing page.
At this point, I feel like my blog is one hot mess of ideas from the top down...with no organization.
If this function is already possible then I haven't been able to figure it out.
I'm blogging at urbangirlinterrupted.blogspot.com
Sub-labels! With little expandable arrows like in the archive over there.
I agree!
Replying to comments would be greatly appreciated.
No idea how I ended up at your blog today, but I am glad I did because my number one pet pieve is the replying to comments (or lack there of). Seriously, why isn't that an option?
I'm sure there are a lot of other things that could get fixed, updated, or what have you, but that is my number one. I, too, have considered switching to wordpress because of this. I can live with having to edit my own html every time I post, but not being able to reply to my comments drives me absolutely nuts.
Ok, off my soap box now! Thanks!
Hi Rebecca,
Found you on the "Blogs of Note", and happened to share the same interest for better commenting.
I'm a new blogger, just a month or so in, but I've found a way to get the "reply to comments" function, you have to use a third party application. The one I have used is Disqus (just google it), I literally just set it up today, and it was REALLY easy. It gives you all the functionality that Wordpress comments do.
I promise this is not a cheap ploy to get hits on my site, but if you want to see it in action, I've been testing it on one of my oldest posts, my blog is otalookingin.blogspot.com, click on the "Is Tressel A Good Guy or Bad Guy" post on the right hand side at the bottom of the list of June posts. You'll see a bunch of "Test" comments on there that we've done today. Feel free to leave some test comments on there as well (anyone is welcome to, I'll just delete them after a few days, no problem) to get a feel for how it works, and how your readers would interact with it.
I like it because users can create a Disqus profile, or they can just enter a screen name at the time they make the post (like you can on Wordpress), rather than having to post as "Anonymous". I think by not having to register, it will hopefully increase the number of comments I get.
There are a couple of other 3rd party apps that do the same thing, I just chose Disqus because it got good reviews --- and just from testing it with my co-authors on our site for the past couple of hours, I think we're going to really like it.
I agree with number 1 on your list! Better commenting is my number 1 issue!
And the layouts not resizing is a bit annoying as well.
Hope we get some things changed! Thank you!
Goodness, so many great ideas - thanks so much everyone!!! I'd reply to your comments if Blogger had that functionality :)
@Reverend Whitewall - I actually do know about disqus! I did NOT know that it integrated well with Blogger though, so I will definitely investigate that further, thanks for bringing it up!
i agree about being able to reply to the comments. it make's your reply more personalized. hope they'd listen to you.
I agree about having the ability to reply to comments, but my biggest issue with Blogger is this, mentioned by 'J':
1) Search features. Is there a way to search for a certain topic among random bloggers? I haven't been able to find such a feature. I know there are search features within a specific blog, but would love to see (or find) something that can search for "x" topic across the entire website.
This is my favorite feature on WordPress and makes it a LOT easier for people to find your blog. I've considered switching myself, but I've made a home here and eventually someone will stumble on it... maybe.
Here is what I would like ot know. I want/need to start a website for my art. If I switch, at some future date, from Blogger to another hosting site, will I be able to take my domain name or will Blogger own it for ever?
You are spot on!! ALL of those would be amazing to have!
Somos un pueblo grandioso,por aqui(Latinoamerica)es cuestión de tomarle la mano a esto,paro faltan(creo)todos los adelantos
que hay en inglés,y qué en Español,aun no los hay.
All of the comments and suggestions have been great. One I would like to see is an iPhone app. I know Blogger is a Google product and android is their first loyalty but there are tons of us out there with iPhone who would love to blog on the go. And yes I know I can email it in but I want to be able to add more than one picture to a post.
Thanks for this opportunity to give input.
I totally agree with the commenting thing. The commenting aspect pains me a lot too, especially since many of my friends don't comment on my blogs because of it. Sometimes it just deletes their comments randomly! =O
I'm going to merge my Blogger comments with Disqus and install Disqus over all my blogs, much better. Before Disqus would clash with Blogger comments when I tried to install, but Disqus released a new merging thing which makes it easier. So it might help you too.
I also agree with the images thing. Trying to customise putting an image in a blog post is a horrid affair. Blogger should really add a "drag and adjust" feature to resize images.
Lastly, a more interactive way fro all bloggers to get in touch with each other! I always find that I want to know more Bloggers, but there is no proper platform for me to do so.
I read the title with the tune "Sorry Ms. Jackson" by Outkast. It starts out:
Yeah this one right here goes out to all the baby's mamas, mamas...
Mamas, mamas, baby mamas, mamas
Yeah, go like this
Trade mamas for bloggers; you get the idea...
This comment may be a little late, but I was blog surfing and came across your blog. I wish there was some way for people to follow blogs with their facebook account. I don't have many follows, but I post my link on my facebook everytime and get all the comments on facebook from my friends instead of actually on my blog. I appreciate everything being said of course, I just would like to have my blog grow more. I enjoy what I do though and no matter what nothing would stop me!
Also replying to comments...definitely!
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